What is the meaning of Judges 19:17? When he looked up • The old man “looked up,” a deliberate act of attention. In Scripture, lifting one’s eyes often signals alertness to God-ordained opportunity (Genesis 18:2; John 4:35). • Hospitality begins with noticing; the man does not avert his gaze from a stranger’s need (cf. Luke 10:33). • The verse shows God weaving care into a dark chapter of Israel’s history—He still prompts individuals to act righteously even when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6). and saw the traveler in the city square • The Levite, his concubine, and servant had found no lodging (Judges 19:15), so they remained exposed in the public square. • The square was a place of commerce by day but vulnerability by night, echoing Genesis 19:1 where Lot meets the angelic visitors. • Seeing them there, the old man discerns danger and potential shame for the town if hospitality is refused (compare Job 31:32). the old man asked • Age and wisdom move him to speak; silence would have been complicity (Proverbs 31:8-9). • The initiative mirrors Abraham rushing toward strangers in Genesis 18:2-5—hospitality in action, not sentiment. • His question begins a covenant-shaped interaction: strangers are welcomed as future guests, even family (Hebrews 13:2). “Where are you going, and where have you come from?” • The dual question seeks both destination and origin, just as the Angel of the LORD asked Hagar, “Where have you come from, and where are you going?” (Genesis 16:8). • In ancient culture this established identity, intentions, and accountability, protecting host and guest alike (cf. Ruth 2:11). • Spiritually, Scripture often pairs these two directions to invite self-examination: past deliverance and future purpose (Philippians 3:13-14). summary Judges 19:17 captures a decisive moment of godly hospitality amid national apostasy. The old man notices, assesses, and engages the vulnerable traveler, modeling the watchful, proactive care God expects of His people. |
    |